Some conventional methods for the epitaxial growth of gallium nitride (GaN) layers utilize sapphire substrates. Example devices utilizing these epitaxial GaN layers are LED devices, which are used in lighting, computer monitors, and other display devices.
The growth of gallium nitride layers on a sapphire substrate is a heteroepitaxial growth process since the substrate and the epitaxial layers are composed of different materials. Due to the heteroepitaxial growth process, the epitaxially grown material can exhibit a variety of adverse effects, including reduced uniformity and reductions in metrics associated with the electronic/optical properties of the epitaxial layers. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems related to epitaxial growth processes and substrate structures.